40 Meatless Meals - Cheesy Lasagna

12 lasagna noodles, uncooked
½ c marg. or butter
½ c flour
½ t salt
4 c milk
1 c Swiss cheese, shredded
1 c. mozzarella cheese, shredded
½ c grated Parmesan
¼ c snipped parsley
2 c cottage cheese (or Ricotta)
1 tsp. basil
½ t. salt
½ t. oregano
2 cloves garlic
½ c parmesan

Heat margarine in a 2 qt. saucepan over low heat until melted. Blend in flour and salt. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until smooth and bubbly, stirring constantly. Stir in milk. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute. Stir in Swiss, mozzarella, and ½ c parmesan cheeses over low heat until cheeses are melted. In a separate bowl, mix cottage cheese and spices.
Spread ¼ of the warm cheese sauce in a 9 x 13 pan, top with 4 uncooked noodles. Spread 1 c of cottage cheese mixture over noodles. Repeat and sprinkle with remaining ½ cup Parmesan. Cook uncovered at 350 F for 35-40 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting.

serves 6

40 Meatless Meals- Moussaka

Filling
2 red bell peppers
2 yellow bell peppers
2 eggplants, diced
3 zucchini thickly sliced
3 T olive oil
3 garlic cloves, crushed
14 oz can diced tomatoes
1 T dried basil
salt & pepper

Topping
2 cups grated cheese
4-6 cups prepared instant mashed potatoes

Roast fresh vegetables and garlic in casserole dish greased with oil in a 450 oven til tender. Toss with tomatoes, basil, salt, & pepper until thoroughly combined. Spread cheese and potatoes over top. Bake 15 minutes or until potato crust is set. Serves 4-6.

40 Meatless Meals - Jamaican Veggie Patties

(Source) These require less effort than the length of the ingredients list would suggest. Still, it requires a fair amount of time, so plan ahead.

1 tablespoon oil
1/2 cup diced yellow onion
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
Coarse sea salt
2 larges cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup coconut milk
1/4 cup diced carrots
1/4 cup diced yellow potatoes
1/2 cup fresh green peas (or frozen)
1/2 cup sweet fresh corn (or frozen)
1/2 cup shredded cabbage
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper

Pastry:
2 3/4 cups unbleached flour
2 teaspoons turmeric
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
3/4 cup chilled coconut oil (I used 1/2c butter & 1/4c shortening)
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons ice water

For the filling: In a medium-size saute pan over medium-low heat, combine the oil, the onion cinnamon, allspice, cumin, red pepper flakes, cayenne, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Saute, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the onions are caramelized. Add the garlic and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Stir in the coconut milk, carrots, and potatoes, reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until the carrots and potatoes are tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Stir in the green peas, corn, cabbage, thyme, and lemon juice, cover, and cook for 3 minutes more. Season with additional salt and the white pepper (or to taste) and set aside to allow the flavors to marry.

For the pastry: Combine 2 1/2 cups of flour, turmeric, and salt in a large bowl and mix well. Set the remaining 1/4 cup flour aside. Add the coconut butter to the flour mixture and rub with your fingertip until the mixture resembles fine sand.

Combine the vinegar and water and mix well. Then, without overworking the dough, add the vinegar mixture by the tablespoon, while stirring, just until the dough comes away from the sides of the bowl and begins to coalesce. Squeeze into a tight ball, flatten, cover in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 350F and remove the dough from the refrigerator.

With the reserved flour, lightly dust a clean surface, roll out the dough until it is about 1/8 inch thick. Cut 6" circles (trace around a bowl). Spoon 2 heaping tablespoons of the filling onto the center of one side of each circle, leaving about a 1/8-inch border. Fold the other half over, press to seal, and make ridges around the edge using a fork.

Transfer the patties to a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake until golden brown, about 35 minutes. Serve immediately with some hot sauce.

Makes eight patties.

40 Meatless Meals - Maple Glazed Norwegian Salmon

Note: I had originally planned to post this around Laetare Sunday, but somehow confused my dates. So, I apologize for the less-than-penitential nature of the recipe, but it is meatless, and, to paraphrase Janet Smith: "When Catholics feast, we really feast, and when we fast, we cheat."

1/2 c. pure maple syrup
1 T. fresh grated ginger
2 T. lemon juice, divided
1 1/2 T. soy sauce
1 tsp. fresh minced garlic
1 1/2 pound center cut salmon fillet with skin
greens from 1/2 bunch scallions

In a small heavy saucepan, simmer syrup, ginger, 1 1/2 T lemon juice, soy sauce, garlic, and salt and pepper to taste. Reduce to about 1/2 cup, about 20 minutes, and allow to cool. (Glaze may be made up to two days ahead and chilled).

Place a rack towards the middle of the oven and preheat to 350. Lightly oil a shallow baking dish and arrange scallions in a layer to form a bed for the fillet. Place salmon, skin side down, on greens and brush with half the glaze. Season with salt and pepper and roast until just cooked through, about 20 minutes (internal temp of 145 F).

Heat remaining half of glaze over low heat until heated through, stir in remaining lemon juice and use as a sauce.

Serves 3-4.

40 Meatless Meals- Tagliatelle with Scallops

Tagliatelle with Scallops

1/2 lb scallops, thawed
1/3-1/2 c flour
2 T butter
1 clove garlic
chili pepper flakes to taste
1/4 cup brandy
1/2 cup fish stock
1/2 lemon juice

2 cups tagliatelle or egg noodles

Dip scallops in flour; discard excess. Heat butter, garlic, and pepper flakes, in deep skillet, and sautee scallops till golden brown, stirring frequently.

Meanwhile, prepare pasta according to package directions. Drain and reserve.

Add brandy to scallops, and flambe. When flames die down, add fish stock and lemon juice, stirring constantly to maintain a smooth sauce. Fold in pasta, and combine well.

Intense

The Church Ladies are officially awed: A Year of Crockpotting. A recipe for every day of 2008, and the Crockpot Lady is well into 2009.

No more excuses.

Quote of the Day

"In these household retreats, with buttons and work, and their daughters beside them, they read and sewed and talked in the sweet privacy that domestic women love, and can make so helpful by a wise mixture of cooks and chemistry, table linen and theology, prosaic duties and good poetry."

[Louisa May Alcott, Jo's Boys]

40 Meatless Meals- Stuffed Onions

6 large onions

Filling
1 cup cooked rice
1 cup chopped fresh spinach
1/2 cup grated cheese
1-2 cloves garlic, smashed
1 egg, beaten

2 T olive oil

Preheat oven to 375.

Bring pot of water to boil. Add whole onions in skin and boil for 10 minutes. Drain and cool. Slice in half horizontally and peel. Spoon out center of onion.

Chop removed onion and toss with filling ingredients until well combined. Place onions in greased pan and spoon filling into center. Cover with foil and bake 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake until bubbling. Baste during cooking if necessary.

Our friend and fellow Domer Caitlyn is amazing! Look at these beautiful wedding mints she made- and go check out her blog for the recipe!

40 Meatless Meals - Clam Chowder

1 stalk celery, chopped

1 onion, diced
2 large potatoes, cubed
1 tsp. thyme
vegetable broth, enough to equal 2c. when combined with clam juice
1 c. milk
1 c. half-and-half
1/4 c. flour
1/2 c. butter
2 (6 1/2 oz.) cans chopped clams, juice reserved
Salt and pepper to taste

Cook the celery and potato in a bit of olive oil until celery is translucent. Remove to stock pot, saute onion in skillet until caramelized. Add to pot, along with seasonings, milk, half-and-half, and broth mixture. Bring to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes.

Make a roux by melting 1/2 c. butter in skillet over medium low heat. Stir in flour. Cook, stirring continuously for 2 to 3 minutes. Add 1 to 2 cups hot liquid from stock pot to this roux mixture, stirring or whisking to incorporate and remove lumps. Add back into pot, stir to blend. Add clams. Makes 4 servings.

Notes: I like caramelizing the onions in meatless recipes in general, as it tends to up the flavor a bit. I also deglazed that skillet with the broth before adding it to the pot. Cook the onions just until soft if you prefer.
I've made a wheat-free version of this by whisking a couple tablespoons of cornstarch into 1/2c. or so of cold broth that I've saved out, then adding this into the soup and stirring well.
This recipe also works well in the crock pot.